Eternally Bound: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (34 page)

Risking a peek out of the little alcove he’d ducked into, Eden watched the Rahn asshole rake his hands through his hair. At this angle, the man reminded Eden of one of his own cousins. A strong chin, even stronger body, deeply tanned skin. An air of nobility and honor clung to him like a second skin. His stance screamed royalty. Just like himself.

Listening intently, Eden’s spine stiffened at the words of the three men who stood talking on the steps. His lungs seized as if they were afraid to breathe. Heart kicked up into a wild rhythm. Stomach twisted into a sick knot.

Eden’s Catalan language skills were somewhat rusty, but he recognized the words “dead” and “killer” in any language.

The Rahn asshole’s jaw clenched tight as he questioned the peace officer. “The woman found early this morning. Same description? Same type of wounds?”

“Yes, sir. She was found just after the ship pulled into port. Wealthy female, Caucasian, blonde hair. Not a resident of the island. A visitor…”

“Who didn’t come here on our ship,” Rahn interrupted. “Naked and bound, but other than the knife wounds, she was untouched. No rape, no assault. Damn it, just like the others.”

Eden pressed closer against the wall between him and the other men.

“Anyone else know about this?” Rahn asked quietly.

The captain of their vessel replied. “Absolutely not. I’ve spoken to all of the officials in every port we’ve touched. They’ve all agreed to let your agency handle the situation.”

Agency, eh? So the Rahn asshole was some kind of high-up law dog? And if he worked with Chrys, did that mean she was a cop too? Eden backed up the way he’d come and took the long way around back to the ship. His harem mistress needed a talking-to. And he obviously needed a change of plans.

* * * * *

Rahn was practically on her ass as they both stormed through the door into their apartment. She rounded on him, her face lined with confusion and her fist jammed into her hip.

“Rahn, what the hell are you so upset about?”

The image of his beautiful mate flashed into his mind. She lay in a crumpled, bloody heap, her lifeless eyes glazed over, seeing nothing. The woman they’d found earlier could have easily been Chrys. Just the thought of not having her at his side sent a rush of heated fury through his soul. He teetered dangerously close to the edge of sanity just now. Simply couldn’t handle losing her. Not again.

“Damn it, Chrysalyn, how the hell can I protect you if I can’t manage to keep your ass where you belong and away from danger?” he yelled.

Yelled? He never yelled. The wide bug-eyed shock on Chrysalyn’s flushed, but lovely, face was enough to embarrass him down to his toes. He took a step back, appalled by his own behavior. Didn’t last long, considering there was a murderer on the loose and she was prize pickings.

Sobering quickly, he snapped his mouth shut, knowing the wheels of her agile mind hummed from the implication of his words. Damn, he couldn’t believe what he’d just let slip. And Chrys wouldn’t forget it. In fact, the woman was probably weighing the importance of each word he’d just said.

But instead of giving him the argument he expected, she turned to duck into the sanctuary of her bedroom.

He wasn’t having it. Anger flared. Control didn’t seem to be anywhere near at the moment, which seemed to be the case more and more of late when in her presence.

“Woman, do you hear me talking to you?” Rahn growled, reaching for her. He had to feel her, had to hold her in his arms. A deft pop of her knuckle in just the right spot had his muscled forearm numb in seconds.

“Yeah, I heard you all right. How could I not? And keep your damned hands off me.”

“What? Well, you haven’t seemed to mind my hands on you every night we’ve met up in bed.” Ouch. He hadn’t meant to say that. The hurt look on her face told him she hadn’t expected him to, either. “Chrysalyn, baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. It’s just…”

“Save it, Mr. Benson.”

Aw, hell. She’d called him Mr. Benson. Definitely not a good sign.

“If there’s one thing I can’t stand is a man who throws something in my face. Someone who takes a special moment and turns it into a guilt-inducing negative,” she fumed.

A grumbled “asshole” reached his ears as she stomped over the threshold of her room and slammed the door in his face. He stood there with his nose pressed against the smooth lacquered wood and tried to gain at least a bit of composure. With a sigh, he sucked down his pride and let the groveling begin.

“Chrysalyn, I’m sorry,” he called through the door. “I was just so worried about you, I lost it for a minute. A body was found just this morning, not an hour after we docked.”

Her door slid open. Well, he’d gotten her attention, but the flint-hard look in her eyes clearly said he wasn’t getting any forgiveness. He prepared to spend a lot of time on his knees making up for this blunder. But god, was she worth it.

Lowering her head, she glared up at him with a “you’d better have a good explanation” look. Damn, she was so sexy. Even more so in her anger. He must be nuts. Raking a hand through his hair, Rahn backed up a step, blew out a frustrated breath and spoke as many words as he could string together. Which weren’t many.

“Chrys, you know the position I’m in.” He shot forward in just enough time to get his boot wedged into the space between the doorjamb and the open door. “Listen, I’m working. I’m undercover. I lied about going to Rome. My case is right here aboard this ship. We didn’t know the danger or what was going on until after Geri sent you here on vacation.”

Arms crossed over her tempting bosom, she snapped. “Why didn’t she just have me work the case since I was already here?”

“Because you’re supposed to be on vacation. If you don’t believe me, then call her. But I can’t divulge the nature or details of this case without her permission. I’m sorry, sweetheart, as much as I love you, I can’t…”

Oh hell. Had he just let that slip too? God, he couldn’t seem to keep anything behind his teeth when Chrys was around. Perhaps it was her fierce spirit that kept him off balance. Or the way she gazed at him with those lovely almond-shaped eyes of hers. Or that luscious ass that winked at him every time she walked by. Or her scent. Or…hell, he could go on forever. The list of what he loved about her was simply endless.

“Rahn? Did you say…? No, never mind. It doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me. What else did you lie about, huh? Did you just want to get a bit of bedtime distraction while you’re working your case, just to disappear from my life again after it’s over? Son of a bitch.”

Again, he was presented with her back. But there was no way he was letting her go. She might not believe what he said, so he’d just have to give a bit of action to go along with them. He reached out, careful to get her by the wrist so she couldn’t do that pressure-point arm-numbing thing on him again.

Instead, he found himself rolling across the floor into her room. His head made contact with the foot of the large platform bed with a thud. And all the air whooshed out of his lungs when a pissed-off sistah landed hard in the middle of his chest.

Thighs spread wide, Chrys sat high up on his pecs. Arms trapped at his sides, the woman used the odd angle of his neck for leverage. A strong thumb pressed into the base of his trachea and delivered a most uncomfortable sensation that made him want to gasp and gag at the same time. He couldn’t move without injuring her or himself.

“And I told you to keep your damned hands off me,” she growled.

Skirt bunched up around her hips, the subtle scent of her delectable pussy tickled his nose. His cock shot to attention. A lethal agent sat on his chest, a thumb in just the right position to cause his windpipe considerable damage, he couldn’t move…and he had a hard-on?

Yep, he was definitely crazy.

Chapter Eleven

Chrys instinctively eased the pressure off his throat when Rahn gagged. But only a bit.

How dare the idiot bring up their lovemaking. He clearly didn’t trust her to walk down the street alone. Then another thought bloomed in her mind—murders. He’d insinuated that they were tied to this ship somehow. They had to be or he wouldn’t be as ridiculous about her being off alone when he knew she could take care of herself.

On the other hand, spirit guides for company or not, Rahn had let her waltz around unarmed and unaware of the true danger.

Adonei and Mahpiya stirred in the forefront of her mind for the first time since she and Rahn had literally run into each other on the hip, upbeat avenues of Ibiza. A wisp of thought eased through their bond and she felt like an instant fool.

Trust between her and her mate had nothing to do with this situation. After all, she’d suspected the man had been working a case all along. The rules that applied to Aegis agents, unfortunately, didn’t apply to relationships. He wouldn’t and couldn’t share with her. The more she knew, the more danger she was in. The man was protecting her. Not to mention following protocol and orders. Just as she would have done had their roles been reversed.

Mahpiya gave her a glimpse of what her man was feeling. A flood of insecurity and heart-seizing fear streaked through their bond. Every emotion she could think of flooded her consciousness, caught up in a tangle of uncertainty, followed by determination and fierce protectiveness—and it was all Rahn’s.

Except for this man, no one other than her cousin, Delaine, had ever looked out for her. And he loved her. Sure, it may have slipped, but it didn’t change the fact that he’d said it.

This man put every male she’d ever met to shame. Sexy. Fearless. And just a little bit vulnerable. What an arousing combination. Sitting on his chest, their bodies pressed together in this position, she felt every flex and twitch of his rock-hard pecs. The sensitive flesh between her legs gave an answering tremor. Instantly aflame, the roaring heat of desire for Rahn consumed her. With a tone she’d never heard herself use before, Chrys gave him a new set of orders.

“Don’t fucking move,” Chrys growled. As if he could with his neck at such a wild angle. Chrys removed her thumb from the notch of his throat and settled her hands on the floor on either side of his head. But she was and would remain in charge. She needed to take him, rather than be taken. And he would move when she told him to, damn it.

Rahn flipped her off his chest and pinned her underneath his big body. No way. Wasn’t happening. She rolled him off and landed on top again. By the time the dance was done, they were halfway across the room, dizzy, out of breath. And laughing like two loons with carpet burn.

Side by side on the thick rug, their chests heaved and fell from exertion. Turning to look into the other’s eyes only resulted in more chuckling. On a dime, Rahn’s twinkling, whiskey brown eyes grew smoky, hungry. His jaw tightened along with the intensity of his gaze. That look reached through her clothes, clear down to her soul. It was like lying on the floor with Superman, complete with X-ray vision and sex appeal that stirred up a longing so raw that it had her exploding off the floor again.

Mahpiya’s wild roar sounded in her brain. The huntress had come out to play.

And this time, things would be seen through to their rightful conclusion—Rahn naked underneath her with his powerful cock thrusting deep. And loving it.

This time, when she planted herself on top of him, his fingers sank into her hips and held her there. Thighs splayed wide, Chrys scooted up his chest so she could reach his lips. A split second before she slanted her mouth over his, his fingers began to undo her blouse. To hell with niceties or preliminaries. Swatting his hand away, she ripped the damned thing down the middle. Between her and Rahn, they sure seemed to be destroying a lot of clothes lately. Shucky darn.

Buttons flew in all directions, landing around the room with soft thuds, followed by the soft swish of linen as the shirt joined them on the floor.

Screw the skirt.

With the crotch of her little slinky panties pushed aside, Chrys dry-humped the bulge in Rahn’s pants. Fumbling for the zipper of his jeans, now damp with her own cream, she almost breathed a sigh of relief when Rahn pushed her hand aside and freed his steel-hard cock.

Damn, could the man get any more perfect? Not only was he built like a six-foot tank covered with perfect tanned skin, but his cock was literally a golden rod. Wide at the base, thickly veined and delicious. And just the perfect length to fill her to bursting without pain.

“Does this mean you forgive me, love?”

“Shut up and fuck me already,” she panted. The shaft of his cock brushed the inside of her thighs and scalded. God, she wanted him.

Hot. Nasty. Rippling pleasure whirled from her soaked pussy around to the nerves at the base of her spine, and back again. The flared head of her lover’s staff teased her entrance before sinking inside.

Rahn met her thrust for thrust as her hips slammed frantically, seeking, craving.

“Sssss, yes. More, baby. Please.” The wild hunger to mate, to be pumped full of his seed drove her relentlessly toward the pinnacle of climax.

Chrys balanced on the balls of her feet and each plunge of his cock met nothing but pussy. Gaze lowered, her eyes were riveted on the erotic sight of his flesh disappearing inside hers. Hard met soft as Rahn’s flushed, marble-hard cock sank into her sopping core with purpose.

She looked up. Rahn’s gaze followed hers.

“Damn, baby, you’re so wet. Look at all that cream dripping down my cock.” He surged into her welcoming body.

She gasped, “All your fault.”

Through gritted teeth, he replied, “I’ll gladly take the blame for making you so hot and juicy.”

She swiveled her hips, forcing a cry from both their throats.

“God, woman, you’re going to kill me.”

“Yeah, but you’ll die a happy, happy man.”

In her mind’s eye, she couldn’t see the fierce mating of their spirit guides. Instead, there was a faint hint of Mahpiya’s pleasure as her mate took her ferociously. And that little bit of bliss, the sexual heat generated by both couples, added to the energy of her lovemaking with Rahn and pushed the swelter up a notch, or two. Then three. Good lord!